Asturias students attend seminar vs drugs, insurgency

CEBU, Philippines - In an effort to gather support from the public, the Asturias Police Station conducted a series of anti-insurgency and anti-drugs symposiums to third year and fourth year high-school students in the municipality.

 This is after Senior Inspector Narciso Abapo, the station chief, learned from a survey that the victims of drug abuse, are mostly third year and fourth year students.

Abapo said the symposiums were in coordination with the Municipal Interior and Local Government and the Philippine Army.

The Philippine Army is pushing for the anti-insurgency campaign in Asturias, specifically for the students, in order for the residents to learn the new approach that the insurgents are using in recruiting young members.

Abapo said the Army wants to intensify the campaign despite the fact that Asturias has long been declared as an insurgency-free area.

“Ang ni-tackle ang Philippine Army, ilang kampanya dili sila (mga estudyante) mahadlok nga mosumbong sa polis ug army ug dili magpadala sa mokombinsir,” Abapo said.

During the same symposium, Abapo said they noticed that they got the attention of the young students after they showed a film tackling the ill-effects of using drugs.

He said students asked more questions after watching a short film, showing the life of a celebrity before and after using drugs.

“Amo silang gi-aware ana, naa mi mga movies sa mga celebrities kung unsay nahitabo nila sa pag-gamit sa illegal nga drugs,” he added.

Aside from the short movie, the students were taught how to determine if a person, particularly a fellow student, is using drugs.   Aside from the ill-effects of drug-abuse, the police also informed the students of the criminal liabilities of the users and pushers and their corresponding penalties.

But Abapo said that what they are more after is the support from the students.

Abapo said some of the students have been texting their hotline number to report suspected drug personalities in their area.    (FREEMAN)